Supporter for rail ends.



J. M; HILL.

SUPPORTER FOR RAILENDS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-9.1917.

PatentedAng. 1917'.

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JAMES M. HILL, OF LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN W. BOWEN,

OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SUPPORTER FOR BAIL ENDS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 28, 191% Application filed January 9, 1917. Serial No. 141,365.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMES M. HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lexington, in the county of Rockbridge and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supporters for Rail Ends, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a supporter for the rail-ends of railway track rails.

The object of the invention is to provide new and improved means for supporting the abutting ends of the track-rails of railroads, and thereby prevent said rail-ends from yielding downwardly as the wheels of a moving train of carspass over said abutting rail-ends.

The rail-end supporter will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawing and the invention will then be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the said drawing Figure 1, is an elevation or side view showing the abutting ends of two trackrails, and the rail-end supporter in position.

Fig. 2, is a plan view of same in which the top surface is shown of one rail, and a horizontal longitudinal section of the web of the other rail is shown and the arms of the supporter bolted thereon, the section being taken on the broken line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a vertical cross-section of a track-rail near its end, and also of the supporter device of the present invention, the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4, shows a vertical cross-section of one rail and the two arms of the supporter, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. In the first four figures a screw is employed to raise the seat-plate.

Fig. 5, is a side view of two rail-ends and the supporter, but shows a modification for the screw to raise the seat-plate.

Fig. 6, is a vertical cross-section similar to'Fig. 3, but showing the modified device that raises the seat-plate under the rail-end.

Referring now to the drawings the several parts shown will be described by the use of designating numerals.

The numeral, 7, designates the head or top surface of each traclcrail; 8, the base of the rails, and 9, the vertical web that jo n said b and head. Th vertical ne 10, seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, is the place of separation where the ends of two rails abut, and these are the rail-ends that are liable to yield downwardly under the weight of a moving train. The rails rest upon the usual cross-ties, 11.

A seat-plate, 12, which is free to be moved is placed below the separating line, 10, and so as to underlap the two abutting rail-ends, and means are provided to raise said seatplate upward against the rail-base, 8, and cause the plate to support the rail-ends.

I employ two supporting stringers each consisting of two ends or arms, 13, of angleiron, shown in cross-section in Fig. 4:; one of the angle-fianges'of arm, 13, at each end rests on top ofthe rail-base, 8, at one side of the vertical web, 9, and the other anglefiange of said arm, 13, bears against the vertical web. On the opposite side of the vertical web, 9, ofthe track-rail the two angle-flanges of the other supporting arm, 13, are likewise positioned, and bolts, 14:, pass through the web, 9, and two flanges; each bolt has a head, 15,. and a screw-nut, 16, and thereby the rail-web, 9, is clamped by the opposite arms, 13, of the two supporting stringers. By reference to the lefthand end of Fig. 2, it will be seen each bolt, 14 extends through a slot, 17, formed in the vertical web, 9, of the rail; these slots permit the longitudinal expansion and contraction of track-rails which takes place in very warm and cold weather.

In addition to the two straight ends, 13, each supporting stringer also has an outward or laterally-bent portion, 18, intermediate of said straight ends. WVhile the straight ends, 13, rest on the base, 8, of the rail the laterally-bent part, 18, standsbfi from the rail-base, as seen in the top plan view of Fig. 2; the said two laterally-bent parts are positioned alongside of the abutting ends of the track-rails-one part being at one side of the rails and the other at the opposite side. A suspensory bar, 19, has two upward-extending arms, 20, each of which is provided at its upper end with a lateral hook, 21, that takes over and rests on the top of said laterally-bent part, 18. The lower suspensory part 19, of the bar is below the abutting rail-ends, and railbase, 8,

and also below the seat-plate, 12; the bar extends crosswise, as seen in Fig. 3. This suspensory bar at its center has a screwthreaded hole and a vertically-positioned screw, 22 enters the hole at its bottom and points upward and turns in said hole. The upper end of the screw 22, impinges and presses upward against the bottom of the movable seat-plate. The lower end of the screw has a head 23, adapted to be grasped by a wrench to facilitate turning. The screw is provided with a spring pawl, 24, which engages with suitable ratchet-teeth, 25, fixed on the suspenisory bar, 19, and this pawl and ratchet device prevents the Screw from loosening or turning backward. 7

It will he understood fro nthis description that the seat plate, 12, underlaps the two rail-ends and that by turning the screw, the said plate will pressed upward and support the abutting rail ends; this support is'gained from the two stringers, 18, extending longitudina -ally on opposite sides ofthe track-rail, 7, L In Figs. '1 and 2 two small lugs, 26, are shown on the top edge of the laterally-bent part, 18 and the lateral hook,2l, of the eispe m'v ar, 19, takes p sit on e w ensaid two lugs. Instead of a screw, such as 22, shown in Fig. '3, to raise the seat-plate, otherineans may be employed for this purpose, for instance, a cam-lever, such as, 27, shown in Figs. 5 and 6 as amodification.

This cam-lever has trunnions, 28, that are pivoted in hearings in the suspensory bar, 19.; the cam -head, '27, bears under' the seatplate,'12, and a cam-lever, 30, projects laterally 13y imparting a vertical movement to the cam-lever, 30, the seat plate, 12, may be raised or lowered under the rail-ends.

Having described the structure of the rai1- endsupporter audits operation, what I des re o's ci y t r l tn isfi 1. The combination in a supporter 017 railends of two abutting track-rails having a vertical web and a rail-base Whose flanges project at each side; two stringers each consisting of two straight ends that rest ontop iss 9 i at n a e b aine ally-bent part, 18, which stands 'Jofi from said railrbase flange one of said stringers being at one side of the two track-rails and the other stringer at the opposite side; a sus pensory bar extending crosswise below the abutting rail-ends and having two upwardextending arms each of said arms being engaged with one of the said laterally-bent parts; a movable seat-plate between the railbe t a d d iisii asery a and sc er a y P siti ned th u h t $H P 0 Y a and dap ed #9 wa nwa dly a a a the m e le fi -n afi and a s e latt r t $11 ta t e el itting rai -e ds.-

nm ea ea n a .s iii ip te e a lends; of two longitudinal stringers one bein s c e a; o e s de We abu t tra mils and the othe s ing r at th epp s t side a suspensory bar xtending crosswise below the two abutted railrendsand having twoupunde standing fi s a h If Whiflli en a es w th o at d lo gi dinal s ies ers; a movable seat-plate above the suspeiir leery bat an b low h v a e ted a lends, and means on the suspensorv bar to press the seat-plate upward against the bot was 1511 wo ab s d mamas,

, 3. A supporter forabutting ends of track rails, having in combination two longitudinal stringers one ofwhich is at each side of the abutted tracl rrriails; a extended grosswise below the two v ahutted track rails; me ns t 9 mm h c osswise bi l-"W h bath lon t di st n e s and m a 1 t sswi e r o P, 'I $HP & 1 lYflg3i $'P the two abutted traclrrails.

11- te im i reof I flix y signa r in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. HILL. W nesses 2 C MA N;

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